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Public sector driving use of cloud computing to offer online services [Business Daily (Kenya)](Business Daily (Kenya) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The public sector is emerging as the key driver to the adoption of cloud technology, with the government automating most of its agencies as it seeks to offer services online. With cloud computing, applications and files are stored on a large, centralised supercomputer or network where end-users can access the information using less complex machines over the Internet. The private sector is also joining the bandwagon, says CIO East Africa director Andrew Karanja, as it seeks to cut costs of hiring IT talent and acquiring hardware. "For the public sector, we see a lot of efforts by the government meant towards utilising technology to improve service delivery and enhance transparency. Examples here include the Huduma Centres, KRA's iTax and Treasury's IFMIS project," Mr Karanja said during a CIO100 awards sponsorship signing ceremony. Firms that have shown interest in sponsoring the event includes IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Cyberoam and other local companies such as Seven Seas Technology Group, Soliton Telemec and Computer Learning Centre. The CIO100 awards to be held on November 13-14 in Naivasha identifies and awards 100 organisations and the people within them that are using ICT in innovative ways to deliver business value by creating competitive advantage, optimising business processes, enabling growth or improving relationships with customers. The awards also provide an opportunity for businesses to share with their peers about the technology innovations that have enabled greater success for their organisation. This year's event has attracted 360 applications drawn from public and private sector firms within East Africa. Mr Karanja noted that the most notable challenges facing IT managers are network security, skills gap and regulatory matters. "The re-introduction of VAT on IT products in last year's budget slowed down the uptake of IT, especially among SMEs. This single act pushed up the cost of IT products by 16 per cent" Mr Karanja noted. Skills and capacity is also a big challenge as the country does not have enough skilled manpower to move the sector at a faster pace, he said. This has forced private sector operators such as Safaricom and South Korean electronics firm Samsung to establish partnerships with Kenyan tertiary institutions to help in skills development and transfer. The IT industry in Kenya is expected to grow by 11 per cent annually, creating a need for highly-skilled professionals. A survey by the ICT ministry two years ago revealed that innovative thinking, problem solving and project management and implementation were the top three skills that locally-trained IT graduates lacked. (c) 2014 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |